Everyone needs to take a break from adulting from time to time, wether that is in the form of a mini staycation or a long trip far away. My most recent break came with graduate school in the form of a month long winter break. It was during that time I began this blog, celebrated the fact that I had much more free time, and was able to focus on myself. But like all breaks they must come to an end.
So two weeks ago I was engulfed back into juggling work, school, friends, boyfriend, and all that in between. This has lead to strict radio silence from me on here, and in many other ways. However, as a way to inform you all what I have been up to, I thought I would include some life lessons that I have learned in these two weeks back at adulting.
Lesson One: Give yourself a break
Sounds like I'm saying to go on another break, I wish, but give yourself some time when getting back into the wing of things. As soon as I got home I was taking down Christmas decorations, grocery shopping, cleaning, and stressing out about everything I had to get done and do since I had been gone. Truth is, the laundry from your trip will still be there the next morning, you might have to have to settle for the quick dinners before you get real food. The point is, you will get back on track in no time, so stop stressing about the things that will eventually go back to normal.
Lesson Two: You can find time for yourself
Over break I realized a few things about myself, I very much enjoy having time at night where I can sit on the couch and binge watch a show, morning work outs are the best, and passion projects are so worth it. Since being back in Georgia I have really tried to continue having that me time, and being practical about what that looks like. It is clear that I haven't been able to blog, and some nights I have come home so late that I doze off before getting into the opening credits of a show, but I still don't forget to do little things for myself with the time that I have.
Lesson Three: Heat up dog food to get your pup to eat
Random, but life changing for a dog mom....Have you had those days when you have been working so hard, or so focused that your brain completely stops working. After a long day working with students, focusing on school work, and getting the house chores done, my brain was complete mush. Then Kennedy, my dog, not eating was added to my plate...wonderful. There is nothing like the unexpected stress of one of life's little treats, like getting a flat tire on an already bad day, or realizing you get paid next week and have no food, "I wonder what I can make with pickles, mustard and an onion?" Kennedy having trouble eating is nothing new, she has always been a picky eater, but I would oblige by trying new food, leaving her food out all day, taking food away so should understood meal time and not giving treats, I did it all so she would eat, but sadly nothing would stick. Well I didn't have the time or energy to do the usual cycle of things to figure out what was wrong, so I turned to my trusted friend google, and I found the answer! So the life lesson here is as stated above, heat up wet dog food and mix it in with dry food, works like a charm.
Lesson Four: Reach out to people
What I loved about being home in Wisconsin was that I got to surround myself with all the familiar and important people in my life, of course I missed those in Georgia (love you Cory), but you discover as you get older that home is all about the people and not a place. So coming back to Georgia I was happy in some ways (again I love you Cory), but was sad that I could not just bring everyone with me. That's why it is so important that even when life gets crazy don't forget all the people that make you happy. This is something I continue to work on, because the connectivity aspect of your life is so important for your over all health and happiness.
Lesson Five: Speak up
Once I got back to Georgia it was right back to work, and I didn't stop until literally this weekend. When you are in higher education there are certain times that can be very hectic, particularly at the beginning or end of a semester. In the Fraternity and Sorority Life office we just got all the the students, including student leaders, back. So that has meant multple days of leadership workshop training, meeting with staff, students, and advisors. Not to mention spring recruitment right around the corner, with that comes a lot of prep work in contacting organizations headquarters and manually looking through student records to no longer include those who have graduated in our community. I mean all of that does make the work day fly by and I know it comes with the job, but when this weekend hit I was mentally, physically, and emotionally done. What you need to understand to know why I was so burnt out is that as an advisor you are trying to be a constant resource for students, taking on their problems, and there most stressful time becomes your most stressful time. That is when it is important to know when you need to take a step back and recharge, and to do that you need to speak up. After working a lot out of office hours I was able to take a day off, but it can still be hard when your email is buzzing all the time. But instead of answering all of them as they came in, I took that time that I needed to take a break. I don't think it is good to leave people hanging but you should be honest with those you work with then you need a little RNR.
Lesson Six: Remember your passion
When we have to go back to adulting, Mondays can feel like the most Mondayist Mondays ever, and work that you once loved can be easy to hate when remembering those days when you didn't have to remember what day it was. I had a few moments like that, but then it was important for me to put back into perspective why I am here, why I am getting my masters, and why I am working so hard. Work can be your passion, and work can be really hard, more then you want or expect. But in my opinion it is important to find that balance between the two. So even in the midst of this crazy week I was able to remember the end goal that I have as a grad student and actually take steps in the right directions.
I am very happy to say that I will be volunteering with my Sorority, Gamma Phi Beta, as a Risk Management and Policy specialist. The final lesson? While breaks are just what you need at times, it is also so exciting to see what happens when your hard work pays off.
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